The Memoirs of Marshal Ney

Review

by Dave Watkins, U.K.

Republished by Allen & Allen
Price £ 50 for 2 volumes.

Allen & Allen's first publication is a reprint of the two volume 1833 English edition of the memoirs of, possibly, the most famous of Napoleon's marshals. The work was assembled from the marshal's diaries and notes by his second son, the Duc d'Elchingen and is, therefore, in the third person. The first volume covers Ney's life from his early days with the Army of the Sambre et Meuse, up to his transfer to the Army of the Rhine and the end of the 1799 campaign and is a wonderful evocation of the life of a rapidly rising, courageous young officer, constantly involved in the small scale actions in which Ney specialised.

Throughout, his concern for his own men and for the people whose lives were devastated by the depredations of the armies shines through. However, another side of Ney's character appears through his constant refusal to accept higher rank; this being due to his lack of belief in his ability to command large formations. During this period of his life, Ney worked with many of the future marshals and his descriptions of their characters, especially that of Bernadotte, with whom he had a good relationship, are of special interest.

However, possibly the main attractions of the first volume are the descriptions of the little known campaigns fought in Belgium and Germany, these being covered in considerable detail and with a great deal of insight.

The second volume begins with Ney hearing of the coup d'etat of the 18th of Brumaire and his ambivalent feelings about this event and its consequences; while he approves of the lifting of many repressive laws he is violently opposed to the readmittance of emigres to the senate and their employment in public positions. Eventually, Bernadotte and Lefebvre manage to overcome his appre-hensions and he gives himself over wholeheartedly to the service of the Consulate. He is soon back in action again, under Moreau, and provides a superb first hand account of the battle of Hohen-linden, where he played a major part in the French victory.

There then follows one of the most curious episodes of Ney's career, when he was sent to negotiate with the Swiss cantons. While he may not have seemed the ideal man for the job, he car-ried it out well and this part of the book gives a fascinating insight into the range of skills that were expected of a senior French officer. Napoleon initially rejected Ney's idea of forming Swiss regiments to serve under the French flag but was to change his mind, leading to the establishment of some of the hardest-fighting regiments in the army.

The book then jumps to the Camp of Boulogne where Ney's professionalism is displayed in his preparations for the hoped-for descent on England and his plans for the defence of the camps and harbours against British attack. Following the establishment of the Empire, Ney is promoted to the dignity of Marshal and the training for the enterprise of England intensifies until the 6th Corps is one of the finest in the entire army.

However, a very different campaign was to begin, one in which Ney was to firmly establish his reputation for impetuosity, bravery and tactical skill. We follow Ney and his corps across south western Germany to the brilliant battles around Ulm at Guntzberg, Hasslach, Elchingen, Albeck and Michelsdorf where he bottled the Austrian army up in the city, leading to their capitulation.

The narrative ends at this point but the next part of the book is possibly even more fascinating, consisting of Ney's "Military Studies", these covering everything from basic divisional manoeuvres (complete with Ney's own sketches) through to forming battalions in two ranks(!), the use of the third rank, the role and organisation of a headquarters, how to set out a camp, how to organise a march, how to prepare for battle and how battalions should be handled in various combat situations. In many situations Ney disagrees with the 1791 regulations and sets out his own ideas on how things should be done; interestingly, many of his ideas are very similar to those used in the French 1831 regulations.

Overall, I would have to say that this book is a "must have" for the serious Napoleonic enthusiast. After reading it, one gains the impression that while being an impetuous, courageous officer, Ney was also a highly professional soldier who thought deeply about his profession and, at least in the early years, was fully aware of his own limitations. What a pity that his writings from 1806-1815 were never published as well!

These volumes were in fact eventually published by First Empire and are now out of print. (D. Watkins April 1998)

A sample chapter is on MagWeb--RL

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